Super Sweet Security Supplementals

This is a list of talks which I think are pretty great as supplemental study materials for anyone interested in learning a bit of the art and science behind keeping their computers and online presence a bit more secure. I selected these specifically to supplement crypto party workshops and talks, but each one stands on its own merit. With the exception of the first video, I listed them in alphabetical order as I feel they’re all pretty vital, and I can’t really pick and choose a fair ordering method.

Many of these videos use examples of people who did not use proper OpSec, Infosec, tools, etc. You may question why we should use these as materials to learn from. This is a fair question to pose. We certainly should study the right way to do things or else we will have nothing to model our security posture on, but that does not mean that we should not study those who failed so that we may learn from their lessons. I feel that the following riddle best explains my thoughts on this method. The answer to it is at the foot of this post.

Following the bombing of a major German city durring WWII the bomber crews were being debriefed by their Colonel. The Colonel asks the crews “From what direction did the luftwaffe attack?” Immediately and unanimously the entirety of the crews responded “From above and behind.” The Colonel wrote down the information and handed it to a courier ordering him to deliver it to the outgoing bomber crews immediately stating “This information could save their lives.” As the courier was about to exit the door the flight chief grabbed him by the arm and told him “belay that order, that information could cost the outgoing flight crews their lives.”

What was it that the flight chief was aware of that the colonel was not?

All of these can be found on youtube, but I also mirror them on my site for posterity here. I don’t hold any copyright on these videos, and have accredited them to their presenters and organizations as best I can. If you’ve got any comments or ideas of other videos to add to this list then please let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

The answer to the riddle above is: The flight chief was aware that since all of the men stated that they were attacked from above and behind the most fatal attacks might have come from a different direction, and the outgoing crews, equipped with incomplete information, would possibly fall to the same fate as the men that were shot down and did not return.